Zach Fields

Mr.Warren
9th English

The intention of this study is to validate the issue of PTSD which some have
attempted to discredit as a medical condition. To achieve this, the magnitude and
incidence rate of the condition requires robust evidence. This study is taking secondary
data from the Vietnam Veterans National Readjustment Survey (NVVRS) and
developing the analysis further. The technique employed here is Meta analysis which is
more typically used for quantitative literature applications. In any analysis of secondary
data it is crucial to consider the incidence rates of mental health issues among those
who fought in Vietnam. It is also important to differentiate factors between the time
periods of their lives before they joined the military, while they served in the military and
their lives after they left the forces. It is central to what we are trying to achieve to
identify those who might be at high risk of developing PTSD, as people will react in
differing ways to different stimuli such as distressing events or stressful circumstances.
Population and Sample
The data sample used for this study will be substantial due to the amount of
information collected on post traumatic stress disorder. Samples were drawn from the
nationwide probability sample of the NVVRS study. The first sample included 479,000
males Vietnam veterans (15.2 % of the total) who met the criteria for current post
traumatic stress disorder. The second sample included 7,200 female Vietnam veterans
with a current prevalence rate of 8.5%. The third set of samples included 350,000
Vietnam veterans of both genders, with 11.1% male and 7.8% female partial PTSD
incidence rates. The last set of samples showed 30.6% of male Vietnam veteran and
26.9% of female veterans who met the criteria for developing PTSD (Kulka et al. 1990).
Due to significant time constraints and limited access to information, a decision
was made to use a Meta-Analysis. The Meta-Analysis provides a systematic evaluation
of the quantitative analysis, which combines and summarizes several different studies.
This method offers control over the data analysis, and by using statistical software, it
addresses related hypotheses for delivery of precision in the use of codes. The main
aim and focus of the Meta-Analysis in this research involves clearly identifying the
problem and researching the literature for primary or representative studies. This
approach allows for the creation of an appropriate data set for the evaluation, coding
and analysis of the data in order to produce a valid analysis of the results.
Procedure
To gather all of the studies involved in this research, a massive search was
carried out using primary keywords such as Vietnam veterans, combat stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-IIIR), Mississippi Combat-Related PTSD Scale, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality

Inventory-PTSD Scale. The search was carried out using an internet search and by
searching the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Psychiatry Online Magazines,
Annual Review of Psychology, Journal of Genetic Psychology and Journal of Traumatic
Stress. All studies used for this research were saved as PDFs or Word documents for
future reference. Considering the amount of time given to this research, only four
variables were used and compared across selected studies.
This helped to keep the results and findings simple and to the point, with a lower
risk of possible misinterpretation. The following variables were used to determine risk
factors associated with PTSD and its prevalence rates. These variables are: PreMilitary, Military and Post-military. Pre-military risk factors included gender (female = 1,
male = 0) and ethnicity (1 = white, 0 = others). Using the NVVRS as currently
constructed, a few adjustments to items in the design were made. The items selected
for this research study confirm that the NVVRS is valid and correct across audiences.
All secondary data were selected and presented in a separate category with each
variable clearly defined.
Gender of Participants
The main purpose and focus of this research is to assess the classifications of
Vietnam veterans and the seriousness of psychological disorders. As with any research
study, there are limitations. The first limitation of this research study is that few studies
have been conducted on PTSD and its effects on female Vietnam veterans. Gender was
measured and coded as two normal variables. All data samples drawn from male
participants were coded with a (0). Data on female participants was coded with a (1),
and studies that included ethnicity were coded with a (1) for Caucasian and a (0) for
other ethnicities. Given the number of studies looking at Vietnam veterans with mental
disorders, a decision was made to limit the sample size and break it down into individual
sets. Each article includes secondary data from participants in previous armed services
or on individuals who served in a war-zone.
The most common disorders were organized into the categories of depression,
anxiety and alcohol or drug abuse. The categories consisted of risk factors associated
with mental disorders in Vietnam veterans. These included Pre-Military mental health,
African-American or Hispanic lineage and life adjustment factors. Military factors consist
of war-zone stressors related to atrocities and military trauma. Post-military included
recent stressful life events and social support. All data in this study meets in a selective
group for each variable and can be clearly identified (NVVRS, 1988).
Reliability of the Data
Based on the information taken from the Vietnam Veterans National
Readjustment Survey, it is generally safe to assume that the data collected is either
valid or invalid. Any discrepancies in the data sources were identified and resolved by
re-examining all literature and information collected in this research study. It would
appear that information collected on the subject by other researchers should be
considered valid. The SPSS statistical software was chosen to analyze the data. The

SPSS software is helpful for measurement and validity testing of large samples of
collected data. In coding for this research study, SPSS statistical software was used to
produce descriptive statistics across chosen studies.